


Breaking Through The Atmosphere

by TeapotFiction



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-02 15:27:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12729252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeapotFiction/pseuds/TeapotFiction
Summary: What if Betty had interrupted Jughead's initiation in episode 5?Based on a prompt I was given...





	Breaking Through The Atmosphere

_ Lollipop Lollipop Oooh Lolli Lolli Lolli _

Betty’s entire body tensed as her phone went off. Surely not again? Had today not been bad enough?

She wanted so badly to ignore it, but she was compelled to reach for her phone. If she stopped answering now, everything else was pointless. 

And  _ that _ couldn’t be pointless. It had to serve its purpose. Because it was the worst thing he could have asked of her. 

She held her breath and reached for the phone. To her surprise the caller ID didn’t say UNKNOWN, but Archie. She relaxed for half a second before remembering why he was calling her, and flinching. 

‘Hi.’ She almost whispered into the phone.

‘Hi Betty. I did what you asked.’ His voice was low. He sounded exhausted. Betty didn’t know what to respond with. She’d known that Archie would talk to Jughead on her behalf. She’d known that Archie - the one person who knew Jughead almost as well as she did - would know how to make it convincing. She’d known that Archie wouldn’t let her down.

But she wished he had. 

Because then she’d still have Jughead.

And even though she was desperately clinging to the idea that they’d be able to walk it back one day, the fear that they wouldn’t be able to threatened to paralyse her.

‘And?’ One word, that was all she could manage.

She heard Archie sigh. ‘He bought it. Eventually.’

‘I’m sorry I asked you. I couldn’t have done it..’

‘I know.’ Archie’s tone softened. ‘It was hard. I said more than I planned on.’

‘As long as he believed it.’ Betty replied, her voice cracking. ‘We will walk it back.’ she said, as if to convince herself, as the tears that had never really stopped started to fall down her face again.

There was a noticeable pause on the phone. ‘What, Archie? What aren’t you saying?’

‘Betty. When I went to see Jughead, he told me I had to go. He practically pushed me out of the door before I even opened my mouth.’

‘Oh?’ 

‘Yeh. Then the serpents arrived and - I don’t know what’s going on Betty - but he’s in deep with them. I think he’s joining them.’

‘No Arch. He wouldn’t’

‘He was standing with them. He didn’t want me to know - that’s why he tried to get me to go. He was just standing there. Surrounded by the guys that attacked us. With them. Against us.’ Archie’s voice was shaky, Betty felt the guilt pulsate around her body. She’d taken it for granted that Archie would be unaffected - but this changed everything. 

‘He wouldn’t’ She repeated.

‘He is.’ Archie was resigned. ‘I didn’t know if I should tell you or not. But I thought you should know the truth. We might have already lost him. But if there’s a chance - I don’t think you can afford to wait. I’m sorry Betty, this isn’t what you wanted to hear.’

She couldn’t speak, tears flooded down her face as everything came tumbling down around her. 

‘Betty? I’m coming over. You shouldn’t be alone.’

‘No Archie. I need to be alone. I need to.. Process.’ she managed to get out between the sobs that threatened to pull her body apart. ‘If I have to lose him to keep him safe…. I have to try and keep him safe. I can’t… I can’t … I can’t’ But she couldn’t finish her sentence. 

He understood.

‘If you change your mind…’ Archie replied. Betty sniffed. 

‘Thanks Archie.’ 

She hung up before she fell apart. 

She curled up on the floor of her bedroom, hurling her phone as far as she could. She never wanted to hear it ring again. It brought nothing but pain and destruction. She hugged her knees tightly and let herself cry. Wracking, ugly sobs that seemed to reach from her very core overtook her. She struggled to breathe. She had lost everything, and she didn’t even know if it was worth it.

  
  
  


Jughead didn’t know exactly what it felt like exactly, but he thought there was a pretty high chance that he was now in shock. 

Betty.

Betty didn’t want him any more. 

She hadn’t wanted him for weeks.

And she’d sent Archie to do her dirty work.

He tried to push the thought to the back of his mind. He had more pressing issues right now. He couldn’t show weakness. Not in front of the pack of Serpents currently standing around him. They were waiting for a reaction; Sweet Pea raised his eyebrows, smirking. They wanted him to crumble under the weight of Archie’s words. Hell - he wanted to crumble himself. But he wasn’t going to do that. He had to distract himself. 

There was too much at stake.

And if that meant that he had to lose some things along the way, then so be it. 

But why did it have to be Betty?

He cricked his neck from side to side. 

‘Okay then. Let’s get this over with.’ he practically snarled the words out. 

‘Oh no. Your final trial is not one we’re going to hurry through.’ Sweet Pea smirked even harder, making Jughead want to hit the look right off his face. Which was probably the idea. They wanted him to lose his cool. It’d make the game much more fun for them. 

‘Fine. What do I need to do?’

‘It’s very simple. You’ve just got to take a few steps. One end of the line to the other. Shouldn’t be too challenging for FP’s son.’ 

‘What’s the catch?’ Jughead eyed him.

‘You’ll have to wait until the sun goes down to find that out.’ The group tittered behind him, ‘I just hope you’re not too fond of your pretty boy looks.’ 

‘So why are you here already?’ Jughead glared. That had floored him, He needed the immediate distraction, and sunset was still a couple of hours away. He couldn’t risk thinking about Betty, or Archie while the Serpents were around. He’d reveal his weakness.

‘We’ve got to make sure you’re not going to cheat.’ Jughead frowned, confused and Sweet Pea continued. ‘We know Toni here has tipped you off as to the difficulty of this challenge. We don’t want there to be any risk that you take something that’s going to ease the pain.’

If only he knew, thought Jughead, nothing could ease  _ that _ particular pain. 

Don’t think about it. Don’t think. Don’t. Just act. Autopilot if you need to. 

‘So you’re just going to watch me?’

‘Catch on real quick, don’t you?’

  
  
  


Hours passed, and eventually she ran out of tears. Her body still heaved, but there was nothing more that could physically come out of her. She was empty. Empty but not numb. Numb would be preferable to the all encompassing wretchedness. 

Was this worth it? Was she doing the right thing? 

Eventually she found the strength to stand up. She paced around her room. She couldn’t stay still. Her hand was forced into inactiveness by the Black Hood, and she hated it. She was terrified. A prisoner in her own room. Isolated from everyone. 

Her mind was racing. Archie’s warning running through her head.  _ He’s in deep. Already lost. Serpents.  _ Was it true? Had Archie misinterpreted the situation? Surely Jughead wouldn’t?

The pain, the uncertainty, the questions threatened to spiral her out of control. Her hands were bunched up into tight little balls; her nails dug in deep. She could see the blood, but she couldn’t feel anything. 

She had to know that it was worth it. 

She had to see him.

Maybe she could…? No. The Black Hood would know if she tried to tell him anything. 

But she had to see him. Even if she didn’t speak to him. Even if it changed nothing. She had to see it with her own eyes. It was the only way that she’d believe it. She was frantic. 

Betty didn’t even stop to pick up a jacket. She ran out of the house and towards the South, without stopping. She couldn’t feel the blistering cold of the winter evening. She couldn’t feel anything other than her heartbreak.

 

 

It hadn’t taken long for Jughead to read in between the none too subtle lines of Sweet Pea’s words. He knew what he was about to face and he welcomed it. Physical pain might distract him. It was nothing less than he deserved for losing Betty. He was trash. And she’d finally realised it. 

The Serpents - (what was the correct pack name for a group of them? He mused. A nest of them?) - were getting excited. It made him sick. If he hadn’t already been so set on joining, if he hadn’t known that he  _ had _ to join, he would have just given up. Walked away. But he couldn’t. This was his destiny and he had to face up to it. He could no longer pretend that he could choose a different future. He was his dad. He could just try not to make as many of the same mistakes as his dad had. Try to stay out of jail. Try to stay away from people so he didn’t hurt them. Try not to rip a family apart. He could try.

‘Nearly time, Jones.’ Sweet Pea, in particular, was relishing the tortuous countdown. Taunting Jughead while he still could. Before they stood on the same team.

‘Shouldn’t you be lining up?’ Jughead returned, defiantly. He wasn’t worried. He could take the physical beating. It was the emotional one that threatened to destroy him. 

‘Not quite yet.’ Sweet Pea lit up a cigarette and blew the smoke into Jughead’s face. Jughead resisted the instinct to cough. They flared at each other. Neither moving for what could have been a few seconds or a few hours - Jughead couldn’t tell.

‘Okay serpents. Line up.’ Sweet Pea gave the instruction without breaking eye contact with Jughead. ‘You know the rules, Jones. All you’ve got to do is walk down the line. No stopping. No fighting back. No reacting. If you survive you’ll be one of us. If you don’t…’ he trailed off and gave Jughead a nasty grin. ‘Well, none of us are gonna say what happened to you.’

 

 

Betty had no idea which route she’d taken to get to the trailer park. But she’d got there, running the whole way, desperate and determined. But once she arrived at her destination, her feet would no longer propel her forward, no matter how hard she tried. She was afraid of what might happen next

She could see FP’s - or rather Jughead’s - trailer a little way ahead of her, and suddenly felt shy. She didn’t feel able approach it straight on, so she headed to the wooded area that was just behind it. She could see out, but she should be fairly invisible. 

As she got a little closer, she realised that there were figures moving about outside. She didn’t want to look, but she couldn’t look away.  _ Who were they and what were they doing?  _ She darted behind the nearest tree, peeking out, trying to work out what was going on.

And then she saw him. Jughead. Her heart flipped and she felt a rush of nausea. This is why she’d had to send Archie to talk to him earlier. How would she ever face him again? She was torn between reaching out to touch him, and running away. 

There were two lines of boys - men she corrected herself - ‘Serpents’ said the voice inside her head. Jughead seemed to be at the top of the line. She couldn’t quite make out their intention; they didn’t look friendly, but they hadn’t made a move towards him. If they were going to attack him, surely they’d have started already? Her eyes widened, desperately trying to find a clue as to their motivations. Was he in danger?

She saw Jughead crick his neck from side to side, slowly and deliberately. He stared straight ahead. It was like he was looking directly at her, though of course he couldn’t see her. She didn’t recognise the person standing there. He looked so cold, so determined, so different. It was as if he was a stranger. The tears that she thought she’d exhausted started to prick at her eyes again. Whatever this was, it certainly wasn’t good.

He took a step forward. She gasped.

 

 

Jughead faced the group, and he let his mind go. 

Betty.

He stepped forward. There wasn’t room for any more hurt. He would welcome the punches when they came. He’d be battered and broken on the outside too. 

The force of the first punch took him by surprise, as his body was forced backwards by the violent blow. But still he continued on. His step only slightly more uncertain than it had been. 

You’ve done this to yourself.

This is what you deserve.

Thwack. Another blow, the force threatening to wind him. And then they came in thick and fast. Blow after blow after blow, each harder than the one before it. And then when he was least expecting it there was a pause. He couldn’t bring himself to look up and kill the hope that he’d reached the end of the line - because he knew really he was less than half way through. 

The next punch hit him in the jaw, he fell back only to be caught by the Serpent standing behind him. For a second he allowed himself to believe that it was Betty there, catching him as he fell, again. Because she’d always done that. She’d always caught him when he threatened to self destruct. She’d always caught him before he got too far away from her. Until now. Until it had been too much for her. A double blow of pain hit him again. She’d never catch him again. Those short months of happiness was gone. Life was grittier now. 

Another step forward. Shakier now. Another punch sent him hurling backwards. He lost his footing and he didn’t know where the blows were coming from now, but he could barely stand. And then a sharp, forceful attack hit his back and he was on the floor. His face pressed into the mud, making raw cuts sting. And all he could think was that this still didn’t hurt as much as knowing he’d lost the only person he’d ever loved.

 

 

Betty didn’t want to watch but she couldn’t look away. She was rooted to the spot, unable to move. Why wasn’t he fighting back? Why was he letting them do this? Why did he look so defeated? Why couldn’t she move? 

She felt sick. Had she pushed him towards the Serpents? How was she supposed to move on knowing that he was in pain? She couldn’t go to him; that much she knew - but she had no idea how she would ever be able to forget this tortuous scene.

Poor Juggie. 

She wanted to shout to him, to tell him to run. She wanted to get on his motorcycle with him and live happily ever after. Not Romeo and Juliet, but Betty and Jughead. Together. Away from it all. Curled up in each other’s arms…

No. She shouldn’t think like that. It wasn’t healthy. She had to move past it. Until it was safe. 

She saw Jughead fall down as the Serpents surrounded him. 

Get up Juggie, get up. Please get up. Whatever this is, just get up. Don’t just lie there. You can do it. Please Juggie. Show them that you’re okay. Please be okay. Please.

She felt desperate. In another world, she’d run over to him, hug him close and forget anything else had ever happened. She realised she was crying again when she felt the tears run down her face.

Then she saw it. A tiny glint in the dark night, of light reflecting off metal. On the tall Serpent’s hand. 

Was that a….? Surely not? Surely nobody used them. Not in  _ real life. _

But there was no mistaking what it was; nor the intent in the body language. 

Jughead finally peeled himself from the floor, wincing and staggering as he did so. She saw blood drip from his mouth, his brow furrowed in pain. 

The tall Serpent swaggered over to Jughead and something cracked inside of her. 

‘Oh no no no no.’ she cried.

And that’s when her feet remembered how to move.

 

 

‘Stop it. No! Don’t hurt him.’ She screamed at the top of her voice as she ran into the circle of Serpents, angling her body so she was between Jughead and tall figure. 

‘Stay away from him.’ She screeched in a voice she didn’t recognise. And then she realised what she’d done. 

She was surrounded. She tried to back away but found herself walking in to one of them. She spun around, so she was facing Jughead. Both of them, in the centre of the group. Unarmed. Vulnerable. 

Both of them broken. 

Betty could tell that he was close to passing out; but whether from the pain, or the shock she wasn’t sure. He swayed instead of standing still. His mouth dripping with blood. His eyes blackened. 

‘Show’s over Sweet Pea’ he snapped. 

‘I don’t think so.’ The tall one laughed. ‘We’ve not finished yet.’

‘Juggie?’ Betty’s voice was only marginally above a whisper. 

‘Well I say we have. Isn’t this enough for you? Doesn’t this prove enough?’ Jughead’s voice was weaker than she’d ever heard it, though he was trying to put a brave face on it.

‘I don’t think you’re in a position to negotiate, Jones.’ Sweet Pea countered. 

‘Just go.’ Jughead hissed. Sweet Pea looked around, weighing up the options. Then he grabbed a jacket from Toni and threw it to the ground, stamping it into the mud. 

‘Come on. Let’s not waste our time with those who don’t make it.’ 

With that the group disappeared. Several of them deliberately knocked into Jughead with such force that he was nearly on the floor again. Betty tried not to watch when she saw him trying to spit the worst of the blood from his mouth. She didn’t think there was enough of her heart left to break again, but it was happening.

They were alone again. In an uncomfortable and awkward silence, which Betty had never known with Jughead. 

Eventually he spoke. ‘You look like hell Betty. What are you doing here?’

‘You don’t look so good yourself.’ she replied pointedly. 

‘I thought you didn’t want to see me again.’ he hissed. ‘That you’d been trying to break up with me for weeks. That you knew I’d gone dark.’

She shook her head. ‘No, no, no, no.’

‘Did it have to be Archie though? Did you have to twist the knife just that one last time?’ 

He was so angry and she didn’t blame him. She couldn’t think of a good reason why she was there. This had been a mistake. She couldn’t do what she so desperately wanted to because the stakes were too high. And now the Serpents had turned their back on him too. She’d just made it so much worse. Still, she knew what she had to do.

‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come.’ But she made no move to leave. She knew that when she left this time it really would be the end. He’d never forgive her. There would be no walking back.

She wasn’t sure she could do it.

‘Why did you come, Betts?’ The familiar nickname jolted her back. It gave her a hope that she shouldn’t allow herself to have. 

She swallowed. ‘I had to see you. Just one last time. I needed to know you were safe.’

‘Yeh, well.’ he shrugged, which made him wince in pain again, and gestured around. ‘Safe as houses this.’

Betty shifted uncomfortably, her hands curled up into tight balls. Almost involuntarily she took a step forward. 

‘But, the serpents Juggie? Of all things, to join the Serpents?’ her voice wavered.

‘What else did I have? I don’t belong in the North - that much is clear. And I’m a Serpent by blood. It’s what I’m meant to do.’

Betty shook her head vehemently. ‘No Juggie. You said that was your dad’s life, not yours.’

‘Then I shouldn’t have assumed I’m any better then him.’

_ You are. _ She wanted to scream.  _ You are. He’s not a bad person but you are so much stronger; you’re so much wiser and you can do so much more. You’re more than your parents Jughead.  _

But she couldn’t say anything. Minutes passed as they stood opposite each other, neither one knowing what to say. Neither one wanting to be the one that walked away first.

Betty cleared her throat, eventually. 

‘You should clean that up. You don’t want it getting infected.’

‘Sure.’

She took another step closer to him, almost close enough to touch. She looked at his face critically. He was still staring at the ground, at his hands, at anything but her. Up close his injuries looked so much worse and she gave another gasp.

‘I don’t think you should be alone tonight. Head injuries. It could… Is there someone you can…?’

‘Who would I call Betty?’ he replied sardonically. ‘It doesn’t matter. I’ll be fine, and if I’m not then so be it.’ 

His words shocked her. He looked up and found her staring at his eyes. He could see something was going on. There was something she hadn’t told him (not that he was in any position to be angry about that after what he’d hidden). There was something holding her back. That was why she’d sent Archie, because she knew he’d see through her. 

He caught her hand. 

She looked at him, startled. And then she made her decision.

Because what good was it to try and keep him safe from the Black Hood, if he was going to put his own life in danger? 

Maybe they couldn’t be together. Maybe there was too much else going on. But maybe it was worth the risk to try and get a message to him.

‘I can. If you want. I can clean you up.’ she offered, timidly. 

Jughead didn’t speak, but he guided her into the trailer, not dropping her hand.

 

 

Once inside she made her way to the Jones’ bathroom where she was depressingly knowledgeable about the whereabouts of the medical essentials. She willed herself to stop crying, but knew it was useless. Focus, Betty. Focus. 

She carried the bottle of antiseptic, the cotton wall and the band-aids through to the trailer’s sitting room. Jughead had sat down on his couch and at his feet was a dog. This must be the one that had bitten his hand, but right now it didn’t look anything but friendly. 

Jughead was absent mindedly running his hands through the dog’s fur, staring ahead with a blank expression, his jaw set hard. 

She wanted to say something, but she had no idea where to start. The words she really wanted to say were impossible now. Instead, she concentrated at the task at hand, unscrewing the bottle and soaking the cotton wool. 

‘This might sting.’

His eyes snapped towards her and his mouth twitched as if he was holding back a sarcastic comment. She leant forward awkwardly, so aware of his body position in relation to hers. How different it was from a couple of weeks ago - the last time she’d been fixing him up - when his hand lay proprietorially and proudly on her leg. Where, despite his injuries, his humour had remained. Where they’d been so certain of each other.

She knew now how much she’d hurt him. And if it wasn’t for what she’d witnessed earlier she’d be rushing to apologise. But he had secrets too, and he’d made decisions without her. 

He winced slightly when the antiseptic first touched his skin but he didn’t say a word. His eyes locked onto hers and she felt embarrassed under his scrutiny, so she focused on his injuries instead, unable to meet his gaze. 

She almost couldn’t bear to look at that either. There were sizeable cuts to both sides of his face, his eye was already turning purple - the colour deepening as the minutes passed, and his lip was split. She kept dab, dab, dabbing at the blood, cleaning it up as best as she could. Trying to focus her mind. This was her one opportunity to speak to him. She couldn’t mess it up. But she couldn’t find the words to say what she needed to. 

‘When I said you were a sight for sore eyes, I wasn’t expecting to mean it quite so literally.’ Jughead muttered, sardonically.

Betty knew he was trying to lighten the mood, but she couldn’t bring herself to smile. ‘Why Juggie? Just.. why?’ She paused, and dropped her hands down in her lap, staring at him with those bright green eyes that he knew would haunt his sleep forever.

He stared back defiantly for a while before he spoke. And then his eyes softened.

‘To keep you safe.’ He said, simply. ‘You and Archie, and everyone else.Turns out my dad was the peace keeper, and now he’s gone they’re going to hell in a handcasket.’

Betty’s mouth formed a perfect ‘o’ in surprise. No matter what she’d been expecting him to say, it hadn’t been that. She looked down at her hands, shifting her weight uncomfortably.

‘But joining the Serpents, Jug. That’s not a game. Look what they’ve done to you.’ 

He shrugged. 

‘For some inexplicable reason, my interest in self preservation has waned.’ His eyes went cold again, as he remembered the conversation he’d had earlier. He swallowed hard. 

‘Why are you here Betty? I told Archie to let you know I got the message.’ 

‘Jug.’ she sighed and opened her mouth to continue, but her voice had disappeared.

‘You know what hurts? Other than you wanting to end it, of course. The fact you couldn’t even say it yourself. That you had to send him. I didn’t expect that from you of all people.’ 

Betty sniffed, and another tear fell down her face. She nodded in agreement, all too aware that she’d let him down.

‘It’s true then, what he said?’ Jughead didn’t really want to hear the answer but he knew he had to ask. It had to be final. ‘You don’t want anything to do with me anymore?’ He always had been a sucker for pain.

‘I can’t.’ She cried. ‘I can’t… I can’t’

‘No. You won’t. Just say it Betty. Just say you didn’t love me. I know you’re too good for me. I’ve always known it. So just say it and then you can leave.’

‘I can’t Jughead.’ He looked up. 

‘You can’t what?’

‘I can’t say it.’ Her lip wobbled and more tears sprung down her face. She couldn’t look up at him. She knew she shouldn’t say anything else. There was too much of a risk. But she was here, with Jughead and she couldn’t bear this. She needed him, and she was fairly sure he needed her too.

‘Betty, what is going on? You look like you haven’t slept in weeks. You send Archie to break up with me and then you appear only hours later. What has happened?’ He grasped her by the shoulders, firmly, and then gave her a little shake. ‘What aren’t you telling me?’ 

‘I can’t - ‘ she started, but then found the strength to look him in the eye and all of her resolve crumbled. ‘It’s him. He’s been phoning me.’

‘Who?’

‘The Black Hood.’ 

Betty could feel herself falling apart. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t even tell you if she was crying or not. It was like something was ripping her apart from the inside. 

Jughead’s eyes took on a frantic note, and before he could think what he was doing, he pulled Betty in towards her, wrapping his arms around her. Protecting her - because that was all he ever wanted to do. He wanted to make this better for her. Even if…

‘I didn’t want to. I couldn’t. That’s why I sent Archie, because he - the black hood - told me that if I didn’t cut you out of my life, he’d do it for me. He’s been watching me. I shouldn’t be here because it puts you in danger. I shouldn’t have come. And, if he sees me with you…’ Once the words started, they tumbled out faster and faster. ‘He’s been testing me Juggie, and as long as I’ve been playing by his game, he hasn’t hurt anyone else. So what option do I have?’ she wept into his shoulder and he patted her back, ignoring the pain from his bruises.

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ he asked, when her tears subsided a bit and she pulled back from his arms slightly. 

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ she countered.

‘I deserve that, I suppose. I didn’t know how to.’ 

‘I was so scared.’

‘It’s going to be okay.’ he promised, but she couldn't agree with him. How could it ever be okay again?

‘You should get some ice on your eye.’ Betty changed the subject and he frowned. She stood up and crossed the room to the kitchen, not looking back at him. Jughead shook his head and ruffled HotDog’s fur again. 

She returned a couple of minutes later, with some ice tied up in a kitchen cloth. Gently she leaned in to press it against his eye. This time they held each other’s gaze. Jughead slowly pushed her hand down but kept a hold of her wrist.

‘Betty Cooper. I love you. I’m going to keep loving you whatever happens. No North/South war or serial killer can keep us apart.’

Betty went to start speaking but he put his finger to her lips to shush her. ‘I understand if your feelings have changed. I understand if you want more than this. I’m just laying out my position. And I want to say I’m sorry. I should never have lied to you. I should have told you what was going on. And I should never, ever, have let you go without asking you first. So I’m asking you now.’ He looked up at her, and it reminded Betty of the way he’d looked at her just before he kissed her for the first time. 

‘Jughead Jones. I love you.’ 

That was all he needed to close the gap between them and press his lips to her mouth. She melted into him, trying to be gentle but noticing when he winced slightly. 

When they pulled apart, he went to lace his fingers through hers, and that’s when he realised what she’d been hiding from him. 

‘Betty.’ he groaned as the extent of the damage to her hands. He reached for the antiseptic and cotton wool before she could protest. 

‘You fixed me up, it’s only fair I return the favour.’ He whispered, his voice so gentle and full of concern. 

He was so tender with her, the boy with the blackened eye and bloodstained shirt. When he was finished, Betty grasped his hand tightly in hers. 

‘So, I think it’s safe to say, that us being apart doesn’t work very well for either of us.’ Jughead’s lazy smile was starting to return.

‘Perhaps not.’

‘It doesn’t lead us to make the best decisions.’ 

Betty shook her head.

‘I’m so sorry Juggie - I never should have…’ 

He leaned in to kiss her again. ‘I understand. All that matters now is that we’re back and we have each other. We’re so much stronger than the rest. Whatever it takes, we can figure it out together.’

She smiled for what felt like the first time in years - decades even.

‘I love you.’

‘Stay?’ he asked. 

‘Always.’ she replied. And she meant it. 

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
